Santa Luzia Impossible Cleanup: a desert island, a fragile refuge for loggerhead turtles

An Integral Nature Reserve* and UNESCO candidate World Heritage site — uninhabited but heavily visited by loggerhead sea turtles

Fundraising

Country:
Cap Verde 🇬🇧

GPS coordinates:
14° 55′ N, 23° 31′ W📍

Estimated amount of plastic waste:
250 Tons 🧴🧃🥤

A fragile sanctuary of biodiversity

Located in the heart of the Cape Verde archipelago, Santa Luzia is the only uninhabited island of the country and one of the last untouched ecosystems of the Atlantic. Classified as a protected natural reserve, it shelters rare bird species, sea turtles, and rich marine life along its coral reefs and dunes. Its isolation has long preserved it from human activity, making it a precious sanctuary for biodiversity — a living laboratory for studying the resilience of fragile island ecosystems.

A remote island overwhelmed by plastic

Despite its isolation, Santa Luzia has become a silent witness to the global plastic crisis. Ocean currents carry debris from around the world, trapping it along its pristine beaches. Each year, an estimated 250 tons of waste wash ashore, threatening marine species and nesting areas for turtles and seabirds. For Plastic Odyssey and UNESCO, Santa Luzia represents both an environmental emergency and a powerful symbol — a call to restore one of the Atlantic’s last wild islands before the tide of plastic claims it completely.

Project Timelime

After a stopover on Santa Luzia in 2023, the Plastic Odyssey team is preparing a major expedition to protect the island’s local biodiversity by removing the plastic waste that has accumulated there.

1

Feasibility study

December, 2025

Budget estimation, permit requests, ship preparation, funding search.

2

Field Survey Mission

February, 2026

Field analysis, logistic assessment, waste extraction test, waste recycling prototyping, marine litter mapping.

3

Cleanup Expedition

May, 2027

In partnerships with local NGOs committed in protecting Santa Luzia island , the mission will extract waste accumulated on turtle nesting beaches.

4

Scientific report

January, 2028

Publication of the results of the scientific study conducted during the expedition.

Required budget

  • Expedition Planning and Feasibility

  • Vessel and Transport Logistics

  • Field Operations and Mission Supplies

  • Local Training and Community Engagement

  • Media and Public Outreach

  • Science and Impact Reporting

Total budget
$ 0

Progress0%

Fundraising

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Help us restore Earth’s most fragile marine sanctuaries

Where Your Gift Goes

Your donation supports RESTORE, Plastic Odyssey Fund’s program for large-scale marine cleanups.

  • Ship operations, logistics, and scientific crew
  • Field cleanups and waste characterization
  • On-board tech for recycling trials
  • Visual storytelling, outreach, and educational content

While the upcoming mission to Santa Luzia is a major focus, your contribution fuels the broader RESTORE program—supporting urgent cleanup and restoration efforts at some of the most plastic-polluted and biodiverse marine sanctuaries on Earth.

Plastic Odyssey Fund is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the U.S. (Tax ID / EIN: 99-4899981). All contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

Why It Matters

  • Because if we can protect it, we can protect so much more.
  • Because this is what hope looks like — in action.

This is not just a cleanup. It’s a chance to prove that nothing is too remote, too difficult, or too late to save. Join the Impossible Cleanup. Help us Save Santa Luzia — and the future of our oceans!

Our Impossible Cleanups

Discover our UNESCO missions.